Amusement apparatus



F. n. CHESTER. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I0, 192i.

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AMUSEMENT APPARATUS. .APPLICATON FILED MN. 10| 1921. 1,394,277. Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

@mM/M17 I WM Ano/Mfrs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

Specification o Letters Fatent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application led January 10, 1921. Serial No. 436,297.

To aZZ'wzom t may concern Be it known that I, FRANK R. CHEsTnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Asbury Park, in the county of Monmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Amusement Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to amusement apparatus, such as shown and described in the application for Letters Patent of the United States, Serial Nos. 362,761 and 401,176, filed by me on June 9, 1920, and August 4, 1920, respectively.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved amusementapparatus more especially designed for use in pleasure resorts, fairs, exhibition grounds and other places of amusement, and afrranged to afford the players amusement and to require considerable skill on the part of a player to successfully actuate the apparatus in the shortest time to win the game.

Another object is to give each player practically the same chance to win the game.

VVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, in which similar characters of reference indi cate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional perspective view of the game apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section of the operating mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same with part of the counter shown in section;

Fig. 4 is a sectional front view of the valve controlling device, the section being on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a cross section of another form of the improved game apparat-us. i

The players stand in front of a. counter, stand or similar structure 1&0, and each of the players manipulates a handwheel 11 secured to the front end of a horizontally disosed shaft 12 journaled in suitable bearings arranged in the front of the counter 10 and a bar 13 extending lengthwise within the counter 10. In the rear of the counter 10 andspaced therefrom is arranged a support 15 provided on the top with holders 16 corresponding in number to the wheels 11 and disposed opposite the same, and each holder is adapted to receive the neck of a hollow, ilexible Object 17, such as an inflatable toy balloon, adapted to be first inflated by reduced air pressure from within and to be finally burst either by high air pressure or by pricking the balloon, as hereinafter more fully explained.

In order to inflate each toy balloon by initial air pressure, use is made of an air pnmp 20 containing a piston 21 having its piston rod 22 connected with a crank 23 attached to or forming part of the rear end of the corresponding shaft 12. The'bottom of the pump 20 is mounted to swing on a pivot 24 held on a bracket 25 held within the counter 10. The pump 20 is provided with an outlet 26 connected by a short pipe 27 with a check valve 2S connected by a pipe 29 with the lower end of a cylinder 30 arranged within the counter 10. The lowerv portion of the cylinder 30 is connected byy a branch pipe 31 with a connecting pipe 32 extending from the counter 10 to the support 15 and connecting with the holder 16. lt will be noticed that when the handwheel 11 is turned and the shaft 12 is rotated then the crank 23 actuates the piston 21 of the air pump 20 and consequently air is pumped by way of the pipe 27, check valve 28, pipe 29, cylinder 30, branch pipe 31 and connecting pipe 32 to the holder 16, from which the air passes into the toy balloon 17 to inflate the same. A needle valve 33 is preferably used for regulating the flow of the air from the cylinder 30 into the branch pipe 31.

In order to prevent the balloon 17 from being burstby air pressure from the pump 30, use is made of a valve 35 normally seated on a valve seat 36 formed on the end of the connecting pipe 32 adjacent the cylinder 30. The stem 37 of the valve 35 is adjustably secured by nuts 3S to a yoke 40 secured on a piston rod 41 of a piston 42 mounted to slide in the cylinder 30. A weight 43 is attached to the upper end of the piston rod 41 to normally hold the piston 42 in lowermost position, that is, directly above the branch pipe 31. Now in case the air pressure in the cylinder 30 is more thanis needed for merely inliating the balloon 17 without bursting the same then the piston 42 moves upward and in doing so it carries the yoke 40 and the valve stem 37 along thereby lifting the valve 35 ofi' its seat 36 to allow air in the pipe 32 to escape thus reducing the air pressure in the pipe 32 and cylinder 30. rlhe yoke 40 is adjustably securedby nuts 44 to the piston rod 41, and the bottom nut rests on the top of the cylinder 30 at the time the piston 42 is in lowermost position. The weight 43 is removably fastened to the piston rod 41 by a wing nut 45 screwing on the upper end of the piston rod 41.

In order to burst the toy balloon 17 use is made of high pressure fluid such as compressed air contained in a reservoir or a tank 50 arranged in the counter 10. The tank 50 is connected by a pipe 51 with a valve 52 connectedby a pipe 53 with the connecting pipe 32, but the valve 52 is normally held in closed position by a spring 54 (see F ig. 2). In order to open the valve 52 with a view to allow compressed air to pass from the reservoir 50 by way of the pipes 51, 53 and 32 into the corresponding toy balloon 17 with a view to burst the same, it is necessary to open the valve 52 and for this purpose the following arrangement is made: rlhe shaft 12 is provided with a screw thread 60 engaged by a half nut 61 mounted to slide on and to swing up and down on a rod 62 attached to the front of the stand 1() and the bar 13, as plainly shown in Fig. 8. The half nut 61 is at the beginning of the game in a rearmost position and when the hand- 4wheel 11 is turned and the shaft 12 is rotated then a forward traveling motion is given to the half nut 61. On the half nut is secured an arm 63 adapted to engage the head 64 of a screw 65 adjustably secured by nuts 66 in a swing arm 67 fulcrumed at 68 on a suitable bracket 69 arranged in the counter 10. The swing arm 67 is in engagement with the stem of the valve 52 and hence when the nut 61 travels forward and its arm 63 engages the head 64 of the screw rod 65 then a forward swinging movement is given to the swing arm 67 whereby the valve 52 is moved into an open position and compressed air passes from the reservoir 50 to the corresponding toy balloon 17 to burst the latter. rlhe half nut 61 during its forward travel on the screw thread 60 is liable to be lifted out of engagement with the set screw thread thus retarding the forward movement of the half nut and thereby delaying opening of the valve 52. For this purpose the free end of the half nut 61 is provided with a bearing 70 engaged by a rod 71 havingV side arms 72 secured to the ends of the yoke 40. Thus when the yoke 4() is lifted on the upward movement of the piston 42, as previously explained, an upward swinging movement is given to the half nut 61 by the action oi the rod 71 moving with the crosshead 40 and engaging the bearing 70. Thus on excess pressure in the cylinder 30 the half nut 61 is lifted out of engagement with the screw thread 60 and hence forward movement of the nut 61 ceases until the pressure in the cylinder 30 is reduced by the opening of the valve 30, as previously explained. Vhen the piston 42 returns to normal lowermost position on the decrease of the pressure in the cylinder 30 then a return or downward swinging movement is given to the half nut 61 to rengagethe latter with the screw thread 60 to cause the half nut 61 to travel forward toward the screw rod 65.- It is understood that the bearing 70 slidingly en gages the rod 71 to allow forward or backward travel of the half nut 61.

lhen the several parts are in the position illustrated in the drawings and the players turn the handwheels 11 then the cor# responding pumps 2O supply suilicient air to the normally deflected toy balloons 17 to inflate the same. By providing the air escape valve 35 controlled from the piston 42 an uncertain element is introduced so that the several toy balloons are more or less inflated according to the speed at which the hand wheels 11 are turned, as previously explained. It will be noticed that on turning Va handwheel 11 too fast more air pressure is had in the cylinder 30 than is desirable and consequently the piston 42 is lifted and the valve 35 is opened to allow air to escape from the pipe 32 and consequently from the toy balloonV 17 to cause the latter to become deated. If the handwheel 11 is turned too slow then not sulficient air is forced into the toy balloon 17 to inflate the same in the shortest time possible. During the turning of the handwheel 11 the corresponding half nut 70 is caused to travel forwardly but, in case of excess pressure in the cylinder 30 as above explained, the half nut 70 is lifted out of engagement with the screw thread 60 of the shaft 12 and hence the half nut 61 does not advance at the speed desired in order to actuate the arm 67 in the quickest possible time with a view to open the valve 52 to allow high pressure air to pass from the tank 50 into the corresponding balloon 17 to burst the same, and thus finish the game.

It will be noticed that the inflation and deflation of a toy balloon fluctuates and although the player can see the fluctuation of the balloon and guard against to@ fast or slow movement of the wheel the cause for the luctuation itself is practically unaccountable to the player. 1t will further be noticed that the successful playing of the game by the several players is alike although the slightest variations in the speed of the handwheels 11 produce dierent results as above stated.

It is understood that the player who first succeeds in opening the valve 52 of the corresponding high pressure supply pipe wins the game as the corresponding balloon is burst owing to the flow of high pressure 1ero air from the tank into such balloon. It is understood that the tank 50 is provided with a pipe 51 for each device controlled by a handwheel. Immediately after the game is finished the attendant in charge of the game apparatus lifts the half nut 61 and slides the same back to its rearmost position thus allowing the valve 52 to close owing to the arm 67 being relieved from'the half nut 61.

In order to burst the inflated toy balloon by pricking it (see Fig. 5), use is made of a pricking pin 80 forming the core of a solenoid 81 attached to the support 15, as plainly shown in Fig. 5. The circuit wire 82 of the solenoid 81 is connected with a battery 83 and leads to a contact 84 held in sulated within the Stand 10 and extending into the path of the arm 63 forming part of the half nut 61 screwing on the thread 60 of the shaft 12. The other circuit wire 85 of the solenoid 81 is connected with the pump bracket 25 and hence an electric connection is had with the arm 63. Normally the pricking pin or solenoid core 8O is in retracted position, as shown in Fig. 5, and when the half-nut 70 travels forward as above explained and the arm 63 moves into engagement with the contact 84 then the normally open circuit of the solenoid 81 is closed and the solenoid is energized to cause the pricking pin l8O to slide upward and prick the balloon 17. IVhen this takes place the outrush ofthe air from the balloon 17 bursts the same. It is understood that the game is played the same as above described in reference to the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to l. It is understood that only a properly inflated balloon 17 can be pricked by the pricking pin 80. I do not limit myself to the particular use of a solenoid as other electromagnetic means may be employed.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In an amusement apparatus, a fragile inflatable object, fluid pressure means connected with the said object to inflate the same, means to burst the inflated object, and actuating means controlling both the said fluid pressure means and the said bursting means.

2. In an amusement apparatus, a fragile inflatable object, fluid pressure means connected with the said object to inflate the same, means to burst the said inflated object, a hand-operated actuating device connected with the said fluid pressure means to actuate the same for generating the fluid pressure, and a controlling device connected with and actuated from the said actuating device and controlling the said bursting means.

3. In an amusement apparatus, an inflatable toy balloon, an air pump connected with the said toy balloon to inflate the same, pricking means adapted to prick the said inflated balloon, manually controlled actuating means connected with the said air pump for generating fluid pressure to inflate the balloon, and controlling means actuated by the said actuating means and controlling the said pricking means.

il. In an amusement apparatus, an inflatable toy balloon, an air pump connected with the said toy balloon to inflate the same, electromagnetic pricking means adapted to prick the said inflated balloon, manually controlled actuating means connected with the said air pump for generating fluid pressure to inflate the balloon, and controlling means actuated by the said actuating means and controlling the said pricking means.

5. In an amusement apparatus, an inflatable toy balloon, an air pump connected with the said toy balloon to inflate the same, a manually controlled shaft connected with the said air pump to actuate the same, an electromagnetic device having a pricking pin adapted to prick the inflated balloon, and a circuit closer for the said electromagnetic device and controlled by the said shaft.

6. In an amusement apparatus,an inflatable toy balloon, an air pump connected with the said toy balloon to inflate the same, a manually controlled shaft connected with the said air pump to actuate the same, an electromagnetic device having. a pricking pin adapted to prick the inflated balloon, a circuit closer for the said electromagnetic device and controlled by the said shaft, and a controlling device controlled by the air pressure generated by the said pump and controlling the said circuit closer.

FRANK R. CHESTER. 

